Broncos lose star running back to injury, another steps up

Big-time running back Javonte Williams left Sunday’s Denver Broncos 31-28 comeback win in the first half with a hip injury.

Williams had two carries for zero yards before leaving the contest. He’s on his way back from a knee injury which ended his 2022 season early. He suffered an ugly knee injury with multiple ligament tears and other damage in his knee, requiring reconstructive knee surgery.

Denver’s leading rusher again this year, Williams, had 138 yards on 36 carries in the Broncos first three games. Without Williams it’s Samaje Perine and rookie Jaleel McLaughlin splitting the work. In the win against the Bears, it was the smaller McLaughlin stepping up. He finished with seven carries for 72 yards, adding three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown.

“The trick is, he’s done a ton of great things, but I don’t want to get caught with a mismatch where he’s blocking a bigger linebacker,” Sean Payton said. “He was outstanding though, he’s hard to tackle, good in space, took a screen for a touchdown, and had some big runs.”

If Williams’ injury costs him time into the following weeks, expect more McLaughlin

“We’ll expand his role,” Payton said. “Perine stepped up. Everything gets a little bit skewed when you lose somebody like that.”

Williams rushed for 903 yards in his stellar rookie season but injuries have slowed him since. Can McLaughlin maybe also sparkle as a rookie? The 23-year-old only had seven touches coming into Week 4 but impressed in camp and preseason.

During the preseason, he led the Broncos in all-purpose yards, racking up 190 total. That came on 133 rushing, 33 receiving and 44 on kick returns. He also scored four touchdowns.

That was more of the same for McLaughlin, who finished as the all-time leading rusher in college football history, recording 8,166 yards on 1,250 attempts, a whopping 6.5 yards per carry, while also scoring 79 touchdowns.

Broncos’ RB Javonte Williams, who left today’s win over Chicago with a hip injury, suffered a hip flexor, per source. He is not expected to miss much if any time.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2023

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